http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Bulletin
The movie focuses on the media's coverage of news, and whether covering the news changes it. The film has no opening credits (unusual for the time). Instead, the program begins with a promo for a typical daytime network lineup: previews of a game show and soap opera are shown, along with a catchy jingle, "RBS: We're Moving Up!" Suddenly, an ominous "Special Bulletin" slide appears on the screen, with an announcer saying "We interrupt this program to bring you a Special Bulletin from RBS News." It shows how a local TV crew, covering a dockworkers' strike, become caught in the middle of a firefight between the U.S. Coast Guard and a tugboat sitting at a dock in Charleston, South Carolina. After several Coast Guard personnel are wounded, the Coast Guardsmen, apparently outgunned, surrender and are taken hostage, as are the reporter and cameraman.
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Several times during the program, Woodley finds himself debating with Lyman and his colleagues the ethics of television journalism and the role it plays in both covering the activities of terrorists and, at the same time, inadvertently promoting such activities. "TV news is essentially show business," says McKeeson during a particularly heated exchange with Woodley....(more)
I walked in on friends watching this in 83 and had to sit and watch for a while to figure out it wasn't really happening. Once I figured that out, it was incredible, watching tv media coverage, even (whoah) nearly 30 yrs ago. Flashy logo and music, DRAMA!! The purpose of tv news is not to show what is going on but to sell ad time. It is really wrong and disgusting and infuriating.
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